MALAYSIA is home – for now – for tourists stranded here due to border closures brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic, but they are taking it as a novel and prolonged adventure.

This longer-than-expected stay has even prompted some to consider making Malaysia a permanent home, or at least a long-term base, through the Malaysia MySecond Home (MM2H) programme.

MM2H is, however, currently frozen by the government pending a review.

Jürg Tanner and his wife, Margot, have been travelling overland in their camping truck since April 2018.

They left their home in Switzerland for an adventure covering 26 countries along a route through Central Asia and entered Malaysia on March 9.

“We spent most of the movement control order (MCO) in Tanah Rata, Cameron Highlands, followed by three months on the east coast,” 60-year-old Jürg said.

“We enjoy wonderful Malaysia, but we have one big problem: we cannot leave Malaysia without our vehicle.”

They had been set to head northwards to Thailand and onwards towards India, before the Thai border closed.

“We could leave Malaysia by plane but then, we would have to leave our camping truck – which is essentially our home – without knowing if and when we can come back again.”

Despite the predicament, Jürg said their stay here has been pleasant.

“We are most grateful for the Malaysian authorities’ understanding of our situation and allowing us to stay here and not pressing or hassling us.

“We had several meet-ups with the Immigration Department and the police, but we were always treated politely,” Jürg said.

The Tanners said they briefly considered establishing a base in this part of the world through the MM2H programme, but have dropped the idea upon learning that their application could take a year to process.

“I consider Malaysia a fairly stable and developed country with a good infrastructure,” said Jürg.

Riskier back home

MM2H began in 2002 offering foreigners multiple-entry resident visas that need only be renewed every 10 years.

The programme was frozen three months ago by the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry for a restudy and re-evaluation.

Another tourist, Bal Marsius Valdehuesa, 31, has been here since mid-March.

“I had a flight from Hanoi to Manila to Cebu. But Manila locked down early so I booked a flight from Hanoi via Kuala Lumpur to Cebu. Like many people, I was not fully aware then how Covid-19 would impact the world.

“So, instead of landing in Kuala Lumpur and flying back to Cebu on the same day, I decided I wanted to see Kuala Lumpur for a bit. So, I booked my Hanoi-to-KL and KL-to-Cebu flights five days apart.”

In the eight months Bal has been here, he has –using his past experience as a summer camp counsellor and climbing guide – helped locals in Penang establish new areas for rock climbing.

“I want to encourage climbing as a sustainable and environmentally friendly tourism channel because I have seen that it is a good way for local communities to generate income.

“Malaysia is beautiful to me because of the diversity of its population. This diversity is reflected in the architecture, food and way of life.

“In Kuala Lumpur, I love how there are pockets of jungles and old houses in between clumps of world-class, high-rise buildings.”

As a nature lover, he sees potential in Malaysia and is considering applying for the MM2H programme.

While the Philippines’ borders are open and Bal could return if he wanted to, he said he will stay in Malaysia for now, as the number of cases as well as the risks are higher back home.

“There also aren’t that many flights going in.

“If I can stay longer, I would like to move to Perlis and help the local community establish the state as an emerging destination for climbing in Asia.”

No baby blues

For British citizen Jordan Benson, 30, Malaysia became the unintended birthplace of her son.

“I was seven months pregnant when I came to Malaysia to pick up my mum and head back to the UK, where I planned to have my baby,” said the teacher who has been based in Myanmar for the last three years.

Landing in Malaysia from Myanmar, she had only meant to stay for one night before heading to the UK.

“But I have been stranded here since March 14. I am still here with my now 6-month-old baby boy.”

Jordan gave birth in Gleneagles Hospital in Penang. Now waiting to return to Myanmar, whose borders remain closed, she said she feels safe in Malaysia.

“We were never meant to have the baby here but the medical care here has been amazing and we could not imagine a better place to get ‘stuck’ in.”

Jordan also said that she is glad to help the Malaysian economy with the purchase of baby items, such as clothes, a pushchair and medical costs.

British tourist Stephen Hall, 62, is also enjoying his time in Malaysia, where he has been even before the MCO started in March while taking a break from his teaching job in Vietnam.

He even experienced living behind barbed wire in Pudu, when the area was put under semi-enhanced MCO, or SEMCO, in May.

“At first, I was eating my roti and teh tarik and going up to Genting Highlands. Then, the backpackers hotel where I stayed closed, and the lockdown forced me into an apartment in Pudu.

“I enjoyed Pudu, with its family businesses and cheap food options. Then one night, the authorities put barbed wire up and the streets were deserted, apart from the soldiers and police officers.”

The experience, however, has not tainted his perspective of Malaysia, which he said feels like a home away from home.

“I intend to stay until January. I love having Marks and Spencers and Village Grocer nearby. My diet has returned to British food,” said Hall.

“I have enjoyed my unplanned year in Malaysia.

“Now, I am ready to travel again but the world isn’t.”

Malaysia’s borders are still shut to non-essential travel, and all arrivals must undergo a mandatory 14-day quarantine at designated hotels or government centres.

The country is currently under the recovery MCO until December 31, but the ongoing third wave of the pandemic has seen the stricter conditional MCO imposed in all states except Perlis, Pahang, Kelantan and Sarawak. – November 17, 2020.